Why I Deleted My Instagram (Meta) Account

Monday, February 3, 2025

Elle Feingold (website) is my favorite living guitarist. I’ve taken lessons with her and intensely studied her playing. She has a Patreon page, a YouTube channel, and other social sites, but her most active (and rewarding) interactions and posts are on Instagram (@ella_rae_feingold).

Ella is constantly assaulted and harassed on Instagram because she is trans. She is incredible at responding to the hate, maintaining a level of poise and humanity that is everything you want from humanity. 

Two weeks ago, the company that runs Instagram changed its policy and explicitly gave permission for hating specifically trans people. 

I don’t need Instagram. My work doesn’t depend on it. If my work and livelihood were tied to Instagram, then I would definitely stay on the platform (though I would probably make sure to let people know I was doing it out of support of my family, not the platform). I always say if the Mafia controlled the water supply in my town, I would still use the water and pay the water bill. But I don’t need Instagram.

So because they are a platform for hate, I have severed an already tenuous relationships with them. They kicked me off the platform 4 years ago without ever telling me why other than I “violated the community standards.” Well, now, the community standards include hating the people I love, so fuck off.

Support Ella at Patreon.